Indicator dial for range



y 19, 1959 M. H. BOLDT ET AL 2,887,086

INDICATOR DI'AL FOR RANGE Filed Jan. 20, 1958 INDICATOR DIAL FOR RANGE i-iMelvin H.:Boldt, Glenview, David P. Chubofi, Mount Prospect, and Donald J. Shooter, ;Efiingham, 111., as- .signors. to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a E cnrporation of Illinois Application January 20, 1958, Serial No. 709,987 41 Claims. (CL 116--124) The-present invention relates to ranges and more-parpearance yet'thaving the function of indicating that the aburnerxorheatert element is operating andalso indicating .attwhat intensity the burneror heating element is operating.

ItiiS a further-object of the invention to provide a round indicatordia-l for a range having a soft, circular halo of light around the periphery of the dial when the burner or heating element is operating.

It is still another object of .the invention to provide the halo of light in contrasting colors to indicate the intensity nfgthe burner or heating element.

r'lihe invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other objects as will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a range showing a plurality of the indicator dials of the present invention placed upon a control panel;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the control panel and showing one of the indicator dials;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the lines 33 of Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a rotatable translucent disc which is one of the parts of the indicator; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a stationary disc which is one of the parts of the indicator.

Referring to the drawing, there is disclosed in Fig. 1 a range having a top wall 11, side walls 12, and a plurality of doors 13, 14 and 15 for access to the oven and usual storage compartments. A plurality of heating elements 16 are provided on the top wall 11 and a backguard 17 is attached to and extends upwardly from the rear edge of the top wall. The backguard 17 has a control panel 18 on the front thereof provided with a plurality of knobs 20 for operating the electric switches which control the circuit (not shown) for the heating elements 16. It is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to any conventional electric or gas range.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, a switch 22 for controlling the heating elements is mounted on a bracket 23 which is attached to the backguard 17 in any suitable manner. The switch 22 has an operating shaft 24 extending therefrom to which one of the knobs 20 is attached. An open ing 25 is provided in the backguard and a disc 26 is secured to the backguard by any suitable means such as by a pair of pins 27 and spring clips 28, and covers the opening 25. An opening 30 of larger diameter than the diameter of the shaft 24 is provided in the disc 26 and United rates Patent "ice .a'window31 whose function will .appear more clearly hereinafter is proyidedin the'discimmediately abov the opening 30. The disc 26 has a flatportion 32exten 1iiig radially from the axis of the stem or shaft 24. and has a skirt or disc 37 ,has a flat portion 38 extending. radially from the axis of the stem 35 and a flaring portion40. The outer. edgeof thefiaring portion 40 is positioned im- ,mediately. adjacent the concave surface 33 of the disc. 26. The face of portion 40 contains indicia denoting the posi- :tion of theswitch 22 and the intensity with which the heating telem ent 16 is operating.

, A flattranslucent disc141 is fixedly secured to the shaft 124,and;more -or less abuts against the flat portion 32 of the disc26. Thedisc-41, as seen in Fig. 4, is divided inte sections of contrasting colors. It is to be understood that any color scheme can be used but I prefer to use. blue for the fLo position, green for the Med position and red for the .Hi position,.;indicated respectively by the areas 41a, 41b, and41c in Fig.4. A lamp 42 islattached to the bracket 23 immediately adjacent and behind the windQ 31. and the disc 41. n An indicator mark 43 is providedin the flange 33a at the top oftthe discy26zto provide an ,orientation point for the markings :onthe rotatableskht 37.

In order to provide the desired halo effect, the internal surface of the skirt 37 including the portions 38 and 40 is coated with an aluminum paint, and the surface of the disc 26 which faces the aluminum coated surface is finished with satin chrome plate. The satin finish is preferably obtained by forming the disc 26 of a zinc base die casting and then sand blasting the casting, followed by chrome plating.

As before pointed out, the disc 41 is secured to the shaft 24 so thatwhen the shaft is rotated by the knob 20 to turn the switch 22 to its Lo position, light from the lamp 42 shines through the blue colored portion of the translucent disc 41 through the window 31 and against the reflective surface of the skirt or disc 37. The blue light rays are then reflected from the surface of the skirt or disc 37 onto the satin finish of the disc 26 thereby providing a soft blue halo on the concave surface 33 of the disc 26. When the knob 20 is further rotated to the Med and to the Hi positions on the dial, a soft green and red halo, respectively, will appear on the satin 'finished concave portion 33 of the disc 26.

While the invention has been described in connection with a certain specific embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and the scope of our invention is defined solely by the appended claims which should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

We claim:

1. An indicator for indicating the operating condition of a heating element of a range comprising a rotatable control shaft; an actuating knob connected to said shaft; a disc; means for mounting said disc whereby it is rotated by said actuating knob; a stationary disc mounted on said range; said stationary disc having an opening there in for rotatably receiving said shaft; a window in said stationary disc; the diameter of said stationary disc being greater than the diameter of said rotatable disc and said rotatable disc being positioned immediately adjacent said stationary disc; the side of said rotatable disc facing said stationary disc having a reflective surface; the side of said.

stationary disc facing the reflective surface of said rotatable disc having a concave surface; and a lamp behind said stationary disc whereby light from said lamp will pass through said window, onto said refiectivesurface and be reflected ontothe concave surface of said stationary disc to give a halo of light on said stationary disc and around said rotatable disc. v

2. An indicator for indicating the operating condition of a heating element of a range comprising a rotatable control shaft; an actuating knob connected to said shaft;

'a disc; means formounting said disc whereby it is ro- 'and' said rotatable disc being positioned immediately adjacent said stationary disc; the side of said rotatable disc facing said stationary disc being coated with an aluminum paint; the side of said stationary disc facing said aluminum coated surface having a substantially concave surface and being satin finished; and a lamp behind said stationary disc whereby light from said lamp will pass through said window, onto said aluminum coated surface and be reflected onto the satin finished surface of said stationary disc to give a halo of light on the concave surface of said stationary disc and around said rotatable disc.

A 3. An indicator for indicating the operating condition of a heating element of a range comprising a rotatable control shaft; an actuating knob connected to said shaft; -a disc; means for mounting said disc whereby it is rotated by said actuating knob; a stationary disc mounted on said range; said stationary disc having an opening therein for rotatably receiving said shaft; a window in said stationary disc; the daimeter of said stationary disc 4 being greater than the diameter of said rotatable disc and said rotatable disc being positioned immediately adjacent said stationary disc; the side of said rotatable disc facing said stationary disc having a reflective surface; means providing diiferent colors of light on said reflective surface and a lamp behind said stationary disc whereby as said knob and shaft are rotated different colors of light will pass through said window, onto said reflective surface and be reflected onto said stationary disc to give a halo of light on said stationary disc and around said rotatable disc.

4. An indicator for indicating the operating condition of a heating element of a range comprising a rotatable control shaft; an actuating knob connected to said shaft; a disc; means for mounting said disc whereby it is rotated by said actuating knob; a stationary disc mounted on said range; said stationary disc having an opening therein for rotatably receiving said shaft; a window in said stationary disc; the diameter of said stationary disc .being greater than the diameter of said rotatable disc References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BuchholZ Dec. 15, 1925 Mayer Aug. 19, 1952 

